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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29304348">How do you pay a Fae?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLostSkyGirl/pseuds/SeHoDrabbles'>SeHoDrabbles (TheLostSkyGirl)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fae!Junmyeon, Fantasy AU, First Meetings, Fluff, Human!Sehun, Non-binary character, Other, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:48:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29304348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLostSkyGirl/pseuds/SeHoDrabbles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sehun, desperate and in dire need of help, mistakenly steps into Fae territory. Instead of getting punished, the Fae he meets offers him help. But at what price?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How do you pay a Fae?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! Hello! It's been a while. So this is a little pre-valentine gift for everyone. It's my first time going this deep into the fantasy universe but I hope you guys will find it to your liking. I honestly did not expect it to be this long or multi-chaptered, though I hope I'll be able to finish this soon. </p>
<p>Special thanks to my beta reader and one of my favorite persons in the world, Trix, for helping with some parts and encouraging me to keep writing this and to not let it go. Without her, this one would probably never see the light of day. Lol.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For as long as Sehun could remember, there was no one else in his life except his mother. There might have been a father at some point, but by the time Sehun was old enough to understand things, that father was already out of the picture. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was just him and his mom, living their lives as peacefully as they can. They don’t have much, but they have enough. They were content in their little house up on the hill. They didn’t have any nearby neighbors but they knew almost everyone in town and almost everyone knew them. They grew their own vegetables and cared for their own animals. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Their life was simple but happy. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They were content. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So when Sehun’s mother collapsed one day, he was stricken with panic and fear. Sehun always thought of his mother as a picture of good health and seeing her pale face as she lay unconscious on her bed was enough to send him weeping. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The town doctor couldn’t give Sehun an assurance that his mother will become well and as the days go by without good progress in her condition, Sehun becomes more and more hopeless. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>By the end of the first week, Sehun was getting desperate. His mother’s condition showed no signs of improving and the doctor has run out of on-hand medicines to try. He suggested looking for new herbs in the woods and Sehun was more than willing to do it, if it meant helping his mother get better. He didn’t have enough knowledge, but the good doctor was kind enough to show him which plants he thinks will be able to help his mother. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He started venturing to areas closer to home. The woods were not a place he was used to, but for his mother, he will do anything. Unfortunately, the closer areas bore only little plants he could use. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t enough. He needed to go deeper.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was on his third day of exploration that he met <em> them </em> . He strayed farther from his usual path, hoping to see some of the plants that can’t be easily found near the town. He hasn’t gone this deep in the forest before, so it was not surprising for him to encounter <em> beings </em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun wasn’t exactly sure what <em> they </em> were. All he knew was that <em> they </em>were beautiful. But scary.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun was too afraid to approach, but he didn’t have to. <em> They </em> noticed his presence in an instant. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <em> being </em> moved too fast to be human and Sehun suddenly found himself staring straight at the bluest eyes he’s ever seen. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Who are you?” <em> they </em> asked and Sehun swears the leaves rustled with each word. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I… ah… S-sehun. M-my name is… Sehun,” he stammered nervously. Unknown beings always made him nervous. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em> started circling around Sehun, as if inspecting him from head to toe. Sehun stood frozen. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This is a forbidden area, <em> Sehun </em> ,” the way <em> they </em> said his name made Sehun shiver unconsciously. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I… ah… I’m s-sorry. I… I didn’t know. I… was… I was just looking for herbs.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em>didn’t stop moving and it almost made Sehun dizzy. If this was a tactic to make him weak before killing him, then it surely was working. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And what do you need for my herbs?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“M-my mother! I… need them to help my m-mother.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun held on to the thoughts of his mother. His poor mother who’ll be left alone if <em> they </em> decided to kill him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <em> being </em> stopped in front of Sehun and tilted <em> their </em> head in question. If Sehun wasn’t frozen in fear, he might have found it adorable. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What is wrong with your mother?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Somehow, the tone of <em> their </em> voice softened, making Sehun relax even for just a little bit. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t know, nobody seems to know, not even the doctor.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em> grew silent then, but still kept <em> their </em> eyes on Sehun. It was unnerving to say the least.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Take me to your mother,” <em> they </em> said suddenly, making Sehun flinch. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wha-- Why…?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I wanna see how bad your mother’s condition is for you to cross this place so carelessly.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The thought of this <em> creature </em> scared Sehun to the core. He can’t risk his already ill mother getting involved in dangerous things. He’d rather die now than have his mother be scorned upon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Without a second thought, Sehun dropped to his knees in front of the <em> creature </em>. “Please, I apologize for crossing your territory without permission. I honestly did not know. Had I known, I wouldn’t have set foot in this place at all. If you need to punish me, I will accept, but please, I beg of you, spare my mother.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The look <em> they </em> gave Sehun was something that can only be described as mocking. Sehun hated being looked at that way. It makes him feel small, like he was not good enough. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do at the moment, not when <em> they </em> were practically digging holes into Sehun’s skull.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“As much as I like humans begging for mercy, I feel offended that you would think I’d raise my hands on someone weak and ill. You humans always believe that <em> we </em> spite anyone and everyone just because <em> we </em> can. <em> We </em>are not all savages, just like you, humans, are not. Stop imposing your crazy presumptions on us”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Their </em> voice grew colder as each word was spoken and Sehun could feel the temperature around him drop. If he had enough sense to look around, he might have seen the few morning dews turn to ice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t have time to defend myself from you. Point me to the direction of your home,” <em> their </em>voice was full of authority, Sehun had no choice but to do as he was told. Not even a second after he pointed the general direction of his house, he felt his surroundings spin and the next thing he knew, he was kneeling in front of their house.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun could feel nausea coming but he held it in. He wasn’t sure how but somehow, they were transported to Sehun’s house. He could hear the sound of the doctor’s assistant moving around the house, probably checking on his mother. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <em> being </em> was standing next to him, most definitely hearing the same thing Sehun was. In the next breath, there was a thud from inside the house and all sounds halted. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The fear of the unknown is what prompted Sehun to leap up and rush into the house. He didn’t know what the creature was capable of and he didn’t trust <em> them </em> one bit. If this <em> being </em> did something to his mother, Sehun will fight <em> them </em> even if he had no chance of winning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But it wasn’t his mother that he found unconscious. Rather, it was the doctor’s assistance, lying out cold on the floor. Sehun quickly checked for a pulse, just like how the doctor taught him and was greatly relieved to find it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I told you not to make presumptions based on inadequate knowledge,” the voice from behind him made him jump, but Sehun was already too distressed to be docile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If you would just tell me what you want with my mother, then I wouldn't jump to such conclusions,” he said through gritted teeth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I told you, I want to check just how grave your mother’s condition is,”<em> they </em> answered, already walking towards Sehun’s mother’s bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun wanted to stop <em> them </em> but he was afraid <em> they </em> might do something to his mother if he moved an inch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why?” he asks instead.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe I can help her,” <em> they </em> shrugged as if <em> they </em> didn’t just give Sehun a shock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?!” Sehun practically shouted. He saw <em> them </em> flinch but he couldn’t care less. “What do you mean you can help her?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em>stopped in front of the bed where Sehun’s mother lay and reached out to touch her forehead. Sehun tensed, braving himself for the worst. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Except nothing happened. Or nothing that Sehun noticed anyway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He heard <em> them </em> hum. “Your mother’s condition is bad, but not grave. Although, without the proper treatment, it could get worse fast.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And… and how do I help her get treatment?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em> turned their piercing gaze towards Sehun. “You can’t…” Sehun felt the dread wrap his whole body. “...but I can.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Somehow, those were what brought Sehun to his knees again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wha—?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can help your mother but it would take some time. I have given her a little relief for now and it should last until I return,” <em> they </em> said it so casually that Sehun almost cried. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“When did you…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You should not concern yourselves with the whens and the hows. Just be grateful that I am helping you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun looked at <em> them </em> , really looked at <em> them. Their </em> face betrayed no emotions, <em> their </em> eyes still cold and calculating. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And yet…. Sehun found <em> them </em> less scary than before. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“W-why?” he asked shakily. His mind was still trying to catch up with everything that’s happening. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why what?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why are you helping me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For a moment, Sehun saw <em> their </em> eyes soften, but he couldn’t be sure for it was gone in a split second. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hmm… I wonder…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em>started to move towards the door and Sehun was brought back to his feet. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll be back in two days. Make sure no one else is in the house by then. I don’t want to waste any more time putting other people to sleep.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe it was because Sehun already experienced it, that he was able to feel the shift in his surroundings. <em> They </em> were about to teleport. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wait!” he yelled before <em> they </em> could disappear. <em> They </em> didn’t look back but the shifting stopped. “What do you want? As payment?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hmmm… I’ll think about it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And then <em> they </em> were gone. </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two days later, Sehun found himself frantically cleaning the house. He knew it wasn’t necessary. <em> They </em>didn’t seem to care about human customs but Sehun can’t help but be wary about the impression he would be leaving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He had no idea what <em> they </em> did but his mother’s condition improved greatly. She could stay conscious for longer compared to before and she was able to keep food down without problems. Sehun still worried over the consequence of the help he got but seeing his mother’s smile once more was worth it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was also a good thing that his mother improved. He was able to decline the doctor’s help for the day without being asked too many questions. Though confused by his mother’s improvement, the doctor merely thought of it as an effect of their efforts. Sehun did not bother correcting him. It would only lead to more interrogation he had no time for.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At half-past noon, Sehun was a nervous wreck. <em> They </em> didn’t exactly say what time <em> they’ll </em> be back, making Sehun jump at every little noise. Thankfully, his mother has gone to sleep. Sehun wouldn’t know how to answer her if she asks why he was so fidgety.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun was about to grab his nth glass of water when he felt it, the shift in his surroundings. He couldn’t really describe it in detail but it felt like being pulled in different directions. There was an inkling pressure on his head, it’s almost suffocating. But then it stops and Sehun finds himself face to face with <em> them </em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You look like you’ve seen a monster,” were the first words <em> they </em>said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun couldn’t respond, feeling shivers run down his spine as <em> they </em> fixed <em> their </em> icy gaze on him. The past two nights, he’s been plagued by dreams of those eyes, and seeing them again only brought back those dreams.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em> didn’t wait for Sehun’s response, simply walking to where his mother lay. Just like what <em> they </em> did before, <em> they </em> placed a hand on his mother’s forehead and waited. Sehun thought <em> they </em>might be assessing his mother’s condition in some way. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Her condition got better, thankfully. However, if left untreated, it could go back to what it was before,” <em> they </em> moved back and approached the only bigger table in the room. <em> They </em> started pulling out things from <em> their </em> pockets and putting it on the table. When Sehun came closer, he saw that they were plants, ones he’s never seen before, not even in the book the doctor gave him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wha--”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“These are herbs that can only be found in my land, somewhere you can’t step foot on unless I allow you to,” <em> they </em> continued putting the plants on the table, it was halfway full, “I brought enough to last two weeks. If prepared correctly, your mother will be back in good health in no time, but one mistake could lead to failure,” <em> they </em> turned back to Sehun with a raised eyebrow, “Well? Are you gonna continue standing there like an idiot or are you going to list down my instructions?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun didn’t waste time running to his room to get his quill and parchment. When he returned, <em> they </em> were seated comfortably on one of the chairs, eyes trained on his mother’s sleeping form.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em>were ethereal. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sure, Sehun had no idea what their agenda was in helping him and he was definitely afraid of <em> them </em> but he’s not gonna deny that <em> they </em> were the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. It was unnerving, being in the same space with someone as dazzling as this <em> being </em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If you’re done ogling, can we start treating your mother?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun felt himself flush at being found out. He sat down in front of <em> them </em> without another word. He’ll scream his embarrassment later once he’s alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next moments were spent with <em> them </em> giving Sehun instructions on how to properly prepare the herbs. <em> They </em> were a stickler for precision and made sure that Sehun understood each and every step. It’s not like <em> they </em> have something to worry about. This is Sehun’s mother’s life on the line. Messing up is the last thing he’ll do. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took almost an hour before <em> they </em> finally deemed Sehun reliable enough to understand <em> their </em> instructions. Sehun grumbled under his breath at being thought of as an idiot. If <em> they </em> heard him, they showed no signs of it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun almost sighed in relief when <em> they </em> stood up, thinking <em> they </em> were finally leaving. That, apparently, was not the case.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Prepare all the necessary tools for the brewing. I’ll watch you make your first brew.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is that necessary? I’ve understood all your instructions. I know I’ll be able to make it on my own.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Understanding the process is different from actually executing it. I will not be leaving until I can see that you’ve made the medicine well.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With gritted teeth, Sehun started preparing what he needed. It was difficult especially with cold eyes watching his every move. Every time Sehun made a wrong move, he would hear <em> them </em> click <em> their </em> tongue. Sehun held his irritation in. The faster he gets this medicine done, the faster he can be rid of <em> them </em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They spent another hour brewing and re-brewing until Sehun got everything right. By the time he was finally able to make the medicine without mistakes, he was dead tired. He knows he’ll fall asleep once <em> they </em> are gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“These are good enough. Give them to your mother as soon as she wakes up. The effects won’t be immediate but you’ll see a difference in a day or two. Remember not to give her anything else but this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun felt relief flood his system. His mother will be fine. She will live.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you… what shall I call you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He suddenly realized he never asked for <em> their </em> name and <em> they </em>never offered it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You don’t need to call me anything.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course I have to call you something. It’s rude not to call someone by their name which I realized I have been doing up until now. For that, I apologize. You have helped me greatly and I want to express my gratitude properly.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> They </em> looked at Sehun curiously. <em> Their </em>eyes grew less cold and more thoughtful. For a second, Sehun thought he crossed some invisible line he shouldn’t have.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Junmyeon,” <em> they </em> said quietly, almost like a whisper, “you can call me Junmyeon.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Somehow, that small piece of information sparked something unknown in him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you, Junmyeon, for helping my mother. I am beyond grateful. If there is anything I can do to repay you, please let me know. I will do…” Sehun paused. What exactly was he willing to do? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anything,” he realized. He would do anything for his mother. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The corners of Junmyeon’s lips rose, not quite a smile but more like a smirk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anything… such a simple word yet holds a great burden. You shouldn’t say such words so casually. Someone might take advantage of you,” <em> they </em> turned back to look at Sehun’s mother, “I’ll give a thought about what I’ll ask from you but know that it won’t be cheap. You’ll know when I return. Until then, take care of your mother.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sehun didn’t know what <em> they </em> meant. He knew he was the one who offered ‘anything’ but surely, <em> they </em> won’t ask for his life in return, right? <em> They </em> did help save his mother, so they must value human life even just a little. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Right?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before he could ask any further, his surroundings already shifted and Junmyeon was gone in his next blink. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reaching up to the end. I hope you liked how the story progressed so far. Your thoughts and opinions are very much welcome. &lt;3</p>
<p>Find me on twitter. :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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